The President's FY 2002 budget for the
Commerce Department's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration zeros in on priority
needs to ensure NOAA achieves peak effectiveness in its stewardship
of our nation's precious natural resources, in its vital role
in helping save lives through severe weather prediction, and
in advancing our understanding of the climate.

NOAA will be funded at $3.1 billion 
50 percent more funds than just five years ago -- under the President's
FY 2002 budget. Targeted programs receive boosts of $330 million,
while duplicative programs are trimmed.

Ensuring coastal natural resources continue
to thrive

Funds for coastal conservation programs
increase by $3.4 million over the current year, to $284.4 million.
Funds are trimmed from the National Estuarine Research Reserves,
and from grant programs that overlap the Coastal Zone Management
program, while funding boosts include:

Coastal Zone Management program receives
a $12.2 million increase, including $8.6 million for Coastal
Zone Management grants.

National Marine Sanctuaries is slated
for a $16.6 million increase, with $13 million devoted to construction.

Advancing severe weather prediction
capabilities

The President's budget for FY 2002 supports
the development of better hurricane landfall prediction with
a $2.2 million increase over the FY 2001 budget for the U.S.
Weather Research Program. Enhancements will help pinpoint areas
recommended for evacuation during powerful hurricanes, saving
lives while at the same time helping localities that lay out
of the danger zone to avoid the millions of dollars in costs
associated with unnecessary storm preparations.

A $4.7 million increase over last year
is directed to assimilate data and modeling at the weather service's
National Center for Environmental Prediction, which will also
improve forecasting capabilities.

Streamlining satellite systems for long-term
cost savings

The President's budget provides $83.4
million in additional funds over FY 2001 for the National Polar
Orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS),
which is expected to reap $1.8 billion in savings over the long
term. The system provides for the convergence of NOAA's Polar
program, the Department
of Defense's Defense
Meteorological Satellite program and NASA's
research and development into a single satellite system.

Advancing our understanding of climate

Enhancements to NOAA's climate study efforts
will be funded at $34.7 million, an increase of $16.5 million
over the current year.